Surprise!
by PokerKitten
Summary: S5 - A nice surprise for Spike. Response to the 15 Minute ficlet challenge on LJ.


Title: Surprise!  
  
Rating: G  
  
Setting: Angel, S5. Between Destiny and Harm's Way  
  
Summary: A nice surprise for Spike. Makes a change, doesn't it.....  
  
Response to the 15 Minute ficlet challenge on LJ - - Word # 48  
  
Disclaimer: Joss, ME, Fox, yadayada own the characters. I just mess with them.  
  
*********************************  
  
Surprise!  
  
"Oh, come on! A lousy hundred bucks'll do..." Adding quietly "...for now."  
  
"No, no way Spike. I don't want your brand of racket in this building."  
  
Spike snorted. "And why would I hang around here, playing my sounds? Come on Angel, it'd keep me out of your hair..." Spike cast an involuntary, disapproving glance at his grandsire's locks. "...for a bit, shopping and what not."  
  
Seeing Angel's face set as stony and unyielding as ever, he tried a different tack. "It's not easy, y'know. Wasn't expecting to be all solid again and to need.... stuff." He half nodded towards Harmony, totally missing the irony of this gesture. "She got rid of my entire collection back in the day...."  
  
"I can hear you, you know" Harmony piped up from behind her workstation. "And you deserved it!"  
  
Spike raised his hand in a gesture of supplication, and sighed in an exaggerated fashion. "Okay, okay. I guess I'll have to find some other way to pass the time."  
  
He heard Gunn stifle a laugh and glanced over his shoulder into Angel's office, to where he and Fred were sitting waiting for the boss to return. 'Hmph, expected better from Charlie!' he grumbed to himself, stalking off, duster swirling.  
  
It really wasn't easy, though he didn't expect them to understand. Hell, he didn't really understand it himself, this sense of being out of time, out of place.  
  
***********  
  
Wandering aimlessly round the maze of corridors the next day, Spike was struck by how different it all looked now he couldn't just walk through walls. He was forever taking a wrong turn, and had no clue as to where he was, or which department he was straying into.... And he kept hearing a strange 'squeak squeak' noise in the distance, no matter which floor he found himself on....  
  
Turning a corner, he saw one of Charlie's team of lawyers talking to the mailman. The smartly suited man glanced up and gave an "Aaah" of recognition. He nodded to the mailman, and accepted a small package, before the old gent headed off, pushing his mailcart before him. 'Squeak, squeak'. Penny dropped! Damn, but he missed seeing old Numero Cinco about the place!  
  
"Spike!" the lawyer called to him, holding up the package. "Mail for Mr Spike."  
  
Mr Spike? Sarccie git! And the last package he'd been sent had been something of a shocker! Spike approached him warily, but the man was friendly enough, even pitching his voice low as he handed over the parcel. "Poker game every Friday afternoon, on seventh." He winked at Spike and hurried off down the corridor, whistling softly. Wolfram and Hart was full of surprises.....  
  
Leaning back against the wall, just because he could, Spike shook the parcel gingerly. It wasn't in an envelope, but neatly wrapped in pale blue paper; no label, no message. Furrowing his brow, Spike tapped, poked and prodded the hard, cube-shaped package, like a kid at Christmas. Nothing for it but to strip off the wrapping..... OH! Surely Harm hadn't...? No, that was well-nigh impossible in the circumstances! Flicking through the CDs, he laughed softly and shook his head, murmuring the titles to himself.  
  
"Never Mind The Bollocks, London Calling, Home, Rocket To Russia... whoa! Hold up! Home?" He turned it over, reading the tracklist, swallowing hard. Bugger, he was tearing up!  
  
*************  
  
He took the stairs to the office three at a time in his haste, but hesitated for a moment at the door. "Is it...? Can I join you?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
He looked almost bashful, eyes downcast, as he mumbled "Should be me giving you presents, love."  
  
Fred smiled; her warm, sweet, accepting smile. "Hey, how did you know?"  
  
Spike couldn't stop a happy grin from lighting up his face. "The Dixie Chicks? Bit of a giveaway!"  
  
It was Fred's turn to look a little coy. "Couldn't resist..... I didn't really do anything in the end, did I?" she added, more seriously.  
  
"Oh, you did!" Spike was vehement. And more than you'll ever know, love....  
  
END 


End file.
